IN THE MIDDLE GROUP (Middle Grades focus) Chapters 2, 3, & 4r from Atwell, 3rd Edition (2015)
Middle School Group:Jing, Diana, Taylor, Chris
Scenario: Your principal has sent you to a professional development workshop on Atwell’s Writing Workshop, because it was featured in the news not long ago, and writing scores are low at your middle school. As a result, she wants your faculty to implement this strategy with students to bring a greater focus to writing in the curriculum. You may want to create a Google Doc shared among your pair or small group to work collaboratively before posting to the wiki (you can link your document here as well).
Your responsibility: Now your principal has charged you with the responsibility of presenting a brief overview/introduction to Atwell’s Writing Workshop in a wiki format to selected members of your middle school faculty! “Hit the highlights and give them takeaways!” she says. Given this charge, please address the following questions:
1. Where does Atwell suggest we start with regard to teaching writing to middle grades students? 1) A well prepared and organized system. Specifically, the teacher should have notes on student's writing and reading projects designating their progress over time. 2) Sufficient time to teach and learn. Atwell suggests that students should spend at least three days writing every week and one day reading. 3) Within that time, students should be given sufficient time to detour, experiment, and decide what methods of writing are working and what methods do not. 4) Belief that every student can be taught to write. Students require time and patience--progressing with writing is difficult but possible!
2. What is the writing process associated with Atwell’s writing workshop model?
Atwell believes above all that writing is a skill acquired through the act of composition. While she offers students direct instruction through mini-lectures and the availability of books like William Zinsser's On Writing Well, her workshop reflects a discovery-oriented pedagogy through the following features:
She gives students time to write in class (and outside the classroom) and make sure the class is productive. (Write)
She encourages students to confer and collaborate as they revise and edit their drafts, while at the same time providing structures ways to approach this revision. (Revise)
She wants her students to be real writers by editing their writing to conform to professional conventions. (Edit)
She makes students aware of publishing opportunities in their community and encourages them to submit. It is her goal to make sure that every one of her eighth graders is published in a professional venue before graduation. (Publication)
3. What are some of the key features of Atwell’s approach to teaching writing and implementing writing workshop?
There are three key features to Atwell's approach:
First, reading and writing are related and interacting skills, and both come through regular practice. Students should frequently be given the time and opportunity to engage in writing and reading books of their own choosing. By naturally engaging their interests, students will search for the tools to express themselves independently.
This does not mean, however, that the teacher is off the hook! Second, it is essential that the teacher monitors and guides student progress. The teacher should at all times be aware of what students are reading and writing and provide judicious but helpful feedback. The teacher should guide students towards thicker and more meaningful texts while encouraging progress towards more and more literary writing in practice. Mini-lectures that highlight techniques and conventions like genre, grammar, style and the like contribute direct instruction to this process. In addition, it is the teacher's responsibility to provide students with in-class resources with which to complete their writing. Books, examples of excellent student writing, paper, pencils, notebooks, reference materials, and a safe environment are all essential resources the writing workshop classroom needs to provide.
Finally, teachers should be writers with their students. When the teacher reads and writes and shares his or her experiences as someone who engages with literature, that models for students what they should aim to accomplish. Students respect a teacher who themselves both loves to read and is working on writing themselves. It also helps them not to feel that the teacher is a person who talks about literature a great deal but never reads books themselves. 4. What other important information do you think your faculty needs to know as an introduction to Atwell’s approach and strategy(-ies)?
The goal of this workshop approach is not only to teach students basic essay-writing and reading skills but also to develop an array of associated skills. For example, students engaged in conferring over their writing will learn skills associated with giving and receiving appropriate feedback and constructive critique, and they will learn how to collaborate with one another. The social and personal dimensions of the workshop provides instructors with the opportunity to build relationships and model social skills for their students.
Chapters 2, 3, & 4r from Atwell, 3rd Edition (2015)
Middle School Group: Jing, Diana, Taylor, Chris
Scenario: Your principal has sent you to a professional development workshop on Atwell’s Writing Workshop, because it was featured in the news not long ago, and writing scores are low at your middle school. As a result, she wants your faculty to implement this strategy with students to bring a greater focus to writing in the curriculum. You may want to create a Google Doc shared among your pair or small group to work collaboratively before posting to the wiki (you can link your document here as well).
Your responsibility: Now your principal has charged you with the responsibility of presenting a brief overview/introduction to Atwell’s Writing Workshop in a wiki format to selected members of your middle school faculty! “Hit the highlights and give them takeaways!” she says. Given this charge, please address the following questions:
1. Where does Atwell suggest we start with regard to teaching writing to middle grades students?
1) A well prepared and organized system. Specifically, the teacher should have notes on student's writing and reading projects designating their progress over time.
2) Sufficient time to teach and learn. Atwell suggests that students should spend at least three days writing every week and one day reading.
3) Within that time, students should be given sufficient time to detour, experiment, and decide what methods of writing are working and what methods do not.
4) Belief that every student can be taught to write. Students require time and patience--progressing with writing is difficult but possible!
2. What is the writing process associated with Atwell’s writing workshop model?
Atwell believes above all that writing is a skill acquired through the act of composition. While she offers students direct instruction through mini-lectures and the availability of books like William Zinsser's On Writing Well, her workshop reflects a discovery-oriented pedagogy through the following features:
3. What are some of the key features of Atwell’s approach to teaching writing and implementing writing workshop?
There are three key features to Atwell's approach:
First, reading and writing are related and interacting skills, and both come through regular practice. Students should frequently be given the time and opportunity to engage in writing and reading books of their own choosing. By naturally engaging their interests, students will search for the tools to express themselves independently.
This does not mean, however, that the teacher is off the hook! Second, it is essential that the teacher monitors and guides student progress. The teacher should at all times be aware of what students are reading and writing and provide judicious but helpful feedback. The teacher should guide students towards thicker and more meaningful texts while encouraging progress towards more and more literary writing in practice. Mini-lectures that highlight techniques and conventions like genre, grammar, style and the like contribute direct instruction to this process. In addition, it is the teacher's responsibility to provide students with in-class resources with which to complete their writing. Books, examples of excellent student writing, paper, pencils, notebooks, reference materials, and a safe environment are all essential resources the writing workshop classroom needs to provide.
Finally, teachers should be writers with their students. When the teacher reads and writes and shares his or her experiences as someone who engages with literature, that models for students what they should aim to accomplish. Students respect a teacher who themselves both loves to read and is working on writing themselves. It also helps them not to feel that the teacher is a person who talks about literature a great deal but never reads books themselves.
4. What other important information do you think your faculty needs to know as an introduction to Atwell’s approach and strategy(-ies)?
The goal of this workshop approach is not only to teach students basic essay-writing and reading skills but also to develop an array of associated skills. For example, students engaged in conferring over their writing will learn skills associated with giving and receiving appropriate feedback and constructive critique, and they will learn how to collaborate with one another. The social and personal dimensions of the workshop provides instructors with the opportunity to build relationships and model social skills for their students.